An 18th-century house in the Cotswolds cleverly refreshed by Flora Soames
Having inherited a house in the Cotswolds from her father, Clemmie Fraser enlisted the help of her cousin Flora Soames to transform it from a home built for a couple into a less formal environment more in keeping with family life. While Clemmie had fond childhood memories of the house, it had never been her home. ‘I approached the project feeling liberated to make it fit for purpose for our family,’ says Clemmie. The cousins had previously worked together when Flora helped Clemmie and her husband Orlando with their house in London, so they knew each other’s tastes well. ‘Clemmie is the ideal client because she knows what she wants but is always open to suggestions. When new ideas are brought to the table, she is confident enough in her own style to embrace them,’ says Flora.
In the early Seventies, Clemmie’s grandfather, Jocelyn Hambro, commissioned architect Quinlan Terry to design the 18th-century-style house – with formal dining and drawing rooms, and a large central hall – before bringing in renowned firm Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler to decorate the interiors. Although Flora had visited a handful of times as a child, she did not have a deep connection with the house, making it easier for her to approach it with an objective eye. Work was carried out in two organic stages, as Clemmie, Orlando and their children – Ruby (15), Christabel (13), Alice (11) and Kit (seven) – had been happily ensconced in London. They viewed the initial move as a ‘toes in the water’ operation to see if full-time country life would suit them (they had previously spent weekends and holidays at Orlando’s North Devon farmhouse).
The first essential was to create a large family kitchen, dining and sitting room. There had been what Clemmie describes as a ‘Marie Antoinette kitchen’ – a small, rather decadent (but impractical) room leading to a library. The more functional kitchen, used on high days only, had been in what is now a triumphantly colourful boot room next door. They decided to demolish the wall between the small kitchen and the library to make the most of four large sash windows and french windows, allowing the cooking, dining and sitting areas to benefit from the light and far-reaching views.
Clemmie is a natural cook and knew exactly what she wanted. She called in kitchen specialist Jane Taylor, who worked with Flora to design an impressive but casual kitchen with plenty of storage, mixed materials and an unpretentious layout that would enhance her collection of artwork and ceramics – and crucially, incorporate a large table for gatherings. ‘Jane is brilliant at designing a one-off kitchen that says so much about the client as a person,’ says Flora.
The work was completed just as Flora was about to launch her first collection of fabrics, and Clemmie embraced the opportunity to dress the windows in her ‘Enid’s Garland’ linen. Its distinctive cobalt blue and coral tones are picked up in the sofa and chairs, and in the Italian-made blue lacquer fridge, completing a room that is all about dogs on sofas and children lounging on chairs. In the former industrial kitchen, now the boot room, the ceiling was opened up and simple beams added. The starting point for the decoration was the tropical-print Pierre Frey wallpaper, which is complemented by Sinclair Till linoleum floor tiles arranged in a striking irregular pattern. Flora relinquished the antique yellow bench from her own collection as its hue was ‘just so’. She consciously used a light hand to refresh the rest of the ground floor. The walls of the grand entrance hall were painted in a pale colour and the columns marbleised in homage to the house’s origins. A patterned runner on the stairs leads to a glorious painting of a greyhound, which Clemmie bought at a Sotheby’s auction when she was in her twenties – it has accompanied her on every house move since.
Clemmie is a huge fan of colour, so she agreed happily to Flora’s suggestion that the walls of the narrow dining room be lacquered in a beautiful saffron by decorative painter Hughie Turner, which draws the eye to this room beyond as you walk into the entrance hall. The drawing room was similarly reinvigorated, with walls painted in pale blue, an unusual Sultanabad rug laid on the floor, paintings rehung and chairs reupholstered in a glazed chintz.
As it quickly became apparent that the move suited everyone, Clemmie turned her attention to the main bedroom. The neutral wallcovering serves as a backdrop for curtains in Flora’s ‘Dahlias’ linen, which, according to Flora, ‘does the talking’. A patchwork quilt Flora found at a sale completes this very personal room, though, as she says, ‘With four dogs and children often on the bed, it’s anyone’s guess as to how long it will last.’ To complete the scheme, she found a brass bed and half-tester to match the 18th-century style of the house. In the en-suite bathroom, which looks out onto the park, Flora updated the existing woodwork and added her ‘Enid’s Ramble’ wallpaper to give it a comfortable, welcoming feel.
By cleverly refreshing much of what was already there, Flora has given the house a new spring in its step, providing a brighter mood and creating a wonderful home for the family for years to come.
Flora Soames: florasoames.com
Paul Massey1/11An impressive group of collected and inherited paintings – including one of a sprinting greyhound that Clemmie bought at a Sotheby’s auction years ago – is showcased by walls in Little Greene Paint & Paper’s ‘Hammock’. A stair runner from Sinclair Till provides a patterned focal point, balancing the grandeur of the 18th-century-style architecture.
Paul Massey2/11An existing armchair in red cut velvet is complemented by a cushion in Waterhouse Wallhangings’ ‘Bellagio Flame Stitch’. The original bookcases have been repainted in ‘Off-White’ by Farrow & Ball.
Paul Massey3/11An ‘Oak Tree’ chandelier in bronzed iron from Cox London hangs above the existing refectory table, teamed with Swedish ebony chairs from Lorfords.
Paul Massey4/11The George Smith sofa has been updated with a loose cover in Flora Soames’ ‘Honeycomb’ cotton mix in sea blue, while a pair of Howard-style armchairs from Lorfords are in Claremont’s ‘Sibton’ velvet. They are arranged around an ottoman in Flora’s ‘Chartwell Weave’ in blue on a Romanian flatweave rug from Robert Stephenson.
Paul Massey5/11Edward Bulmer Natural Paint’s ‘Lilac Pink’ on the lower part of the walls picks up on Flora’s ‘Dahlias’ linen in parchment, used for the headboard, bed canopy, curtains, chair and lampshade. The trunk is in Flora’s ‘Walsingham Weave’, used in reverse.
Paul Massey6/11A geometric Swedish runner from Robert Stephenson contrasts with wallpaper, a blind and Flora’s ‘Maud’ chair in her ‘Dahlias’ print.
Paul Massey7/11Sanderson’s ‘Summer Strawberries’ wallpaper sets the tone for a charmingly timeless scheme.
Paul Massey8/11Pierre Frey’s ‘Espalier’ wallpaper connects this space with the garden beyond.
Paul Massey9/11The garden was designed 20 years ago by Rupert Golby, who is still working with Clemmie today, it comprises many inviting places to relax, such as the patio.
Paul Massey10/11The raised terrace, which is softened by self-seeding Alchemilla mollis.
Paul Massey11/11Built in the early Seventies from local Cotswold stone, the house has a handsome rear façade that looks out over the lawn and parkland beyond. This is where its current owner, Clemmie Fraser, has created the first Cotswold Cup one-day event course.
